BoyGirlParty on Etsy offers these cute do to lists…

Dilemma:
You have started making your craft, art, or hobby a real business, and it’s not going as well as expected. You’ve jumped head first in, invested your time and money, and expected big results.  Instead, you are faced with so-so results, and are getting frustrated.  What do you do?

Answer:

Step back and rethink your steps. Something below is missing and needs to be tweaked or perfected. Don’t give up, because your creations are awesome–you believed in yourself enough in the beginning so perhaps you must work harder to achieve the end game.  Roll the sleeves up and use the checklist below.

Get out the tools!  Desk Caddy at PegandAwl on Etsy

10 Step Checklist to Better Results:

1.  Check your product photos and see how they compare.  Are they up to par? Do you need better lighting or maybe close up photos?  If so, go here and read this great article on Photography Tips for help.

2. What about your product exposure, are you “listing” it right? Are you using the best keywords and titles for your product to get it noticed?  Remember the first few words are key on your title!  If you sell on Etsy, read this!

3.  Check your pricing, is it too high, or too low?  Remember shipping costs are also a factor. Sometimes you can up your item price a buck or two, and lower the shipping accordingly. People may be more apt to buy an item with lower shipping rates but in essence you are selling at the same price! Are you offering your product overseas and could you be? Much jewelry or lightweight items like bibs, scarves, gloves, can ship overseas for first class mail rate.

4. Know your competition.  Are any of the people offering products like yours excelling at their business and if so, what are they doing that works? Perhaps you will discover they are using a keyword you aren’t, or belong to a certain online group that may help you, too.

Smile! This checklist will get your shop going! Pins at RetroChalet on Etsy

5. Find your niche market and advertise accordingly.  Create a need for your item and market to the people who will use your item. For instance, if you sell baby bibs, join some Mommy-Blogs and consider advertising there. Is your item wedding related? Advertise on bridal websites.  Advertising may not always be paid, you may want to host a giveaway on these sites, or secretly create some hub-bub about your product in the forums. Be tactful and non-spammy.

6. Use social networking to promote your items. If you don’t blog, Twitter, Facebook, or Pinterest, perhaps you should.  If this all seems too overwhelming, work in baby steps and commit to one of them per month! You can do it!

7.  Reach out to your peers and family for help. Ask people for critiques of your shop or for advice. Ask your friends and family to mention your shop or online store on their Facebook or social networking. Take advice and suggestions.  If you sell on Etsy reach out to a team. Ask for help and suggestions. You would be surprised how much this helps!

8.  Host a giveaway.  Host a giveaway on your own blog or website, but stipulate that in order to enter they must follow you on Facebook, Twitter, or tell you which item they really like in your shop! See how this giveaway obtained over 230+ entries in just a few days…and apply these principles to your own.  It should also be known that the owner of that giveaway advertised on many “free linky” giveaway lists and giveaway blogs.   Get your giveaway out there!
9.  Streamline your products and tailor your shop or store to those products which will make you money. If you are figuring our your product costs and notice one product is costing double time to make and triple the cost, don’t stock up crazy in the beginning on this product.  For instance, if your necklaces take you two times as long to make and cost three times as much, try stocking up on more economical items like your handmade earrings which you can sell for less and make rather quickly.  Soon you may notice opting to sell more lower priced items in the beginning may afford you the opportunity to sell more product up front and get the ball rolling. Once you have the visitors into your shop you can then offer medium to higher priced products in conjunction with the initial lower price products. Get them in, and keep them coming back.

10.  Dedicate yourself.  If you have decided to make your craft or hobby a
business, you must dedicate yourself to this new job!  Set apart a real
work-week  in your life. Turn off the TV and ignore the phone, it’s
work time. Don’t take a break to shop, you are supposed to be selling….(I know, I know, it’s hard to stay focused sometimes!) Conquer the tasks you need to do. You should balance
marketing with creating new products and shipping out orders.

Keyword Performance Analyzer and more tools available in HandmadeologyBiz shop on Etsy.

The most important thing to remember is not everyone tried and succeeded the first time, or the second, or the tenth! It is those who kept trying, and tried everything before giving up, who have been successful.  It is a lot of hard work, but won’t it be worth it to do what you love to do?

© Ira Mency for Handmadeology, 2012. | Permalink | No comment | Add to del.icio.us
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‘Be Mine’ by stoastn

The JumBow ( A Jumbo Bow Tie… CharlieHeartsD… $18.00	Valentine’s Day Message … merriweatherco… $25.00	Red Roses shoe clips, EtsyXO eclu $32.00
1960s Vintage Twiggy Dress -… zwzzy $40.00	home decor heart pillow cush… SewnNatural $45.00	18 Red and Maroon Vintage Ba… alohabeadsandb… $21.50
Giant Dwarf // Mini Heartlet… giantdwarf $40.00	Valentine Card – Poosac with… poosac $2.50	Double flavor bite size drop… VintageConfect… $12.00
Polka Dots forever dress red… UndraL $90.00	Valentine’s Notes Sugar … thePieceDeResi… $30.00	Felted Hearts Valentines Day… Fairyfolk $24.00
Lovebird Earrings Sterling S… CitrineSunset $95.00	Little Heart ‘O Mine Pin… JacWhippet $14.00	Rotary Dial Telephone – Vint… AmeliaRoseVint… $90.00

Treasury tool by Red Row Studio.

© Timothy for Handmadeology, 2012. | Permalink | One comment | Add to del.icio.us
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One Of A Kind Unique Wedding Gift - 3D Art Wall decoration by: MedBeachStones

Etsy Shop Stats | Analyzing Your Statistics

Numbers, dates and charts

This concrete data allows us to judge the effectiveness of our work. It provides an objective review, is a source of conclusions and gives us a map for the future. If you carefully analyze your statistics, your marketing efforts will be better thought out, and therefore are likely to bring better outcomes. We will analyze shop statistics below.

© Guest for Handmadeology, 2012. | Permalink | 6 comments | Add to del.icio.us
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‘rustic valentine’ by littleshopofphotos

Antler Jewelry Ring – Wearab… MaeLo $38.00	The Old Oak Tree 5×5 art blo… redtilestudio $29.00	Antique Skeleton Key Vintage… frenchfelt $11.00
Painted Stones – Dandelion, … RiverLuna $40.00	Handmade Chocolate Marshmall… whimsyandspice $6.50	Deer Antler PILLOW COVER OOA… JillianReneDec… $45.00
Rustic Wood Step Stool Farm … NifticVintage $37.00	Another Shabby Vintage Frame allthingswhite $14.00	Mini book green woodland ear… Baymut $15.00
small ceramic OWL BUTTONS, h… karoArt $14.50	Zebra safari felted cuff bra… CityCrochet $15.00	Antique sepia portrait AnnaLouVintage $6.99
Unscented Soap // Handmade S… sweetpinesoaps $5.50	Legwarmers in Grey with butt… homelab $59.00	Rustic chic. Egg warmers, se… imali $10.00

Treasury tool by Red Row Studio.

© Timothy for Handmadeology, 2012. | Permalink | 2 comments | Add to del.icio.us
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Red And Teal Love Bird Powder Box by: Mmim

Save Seconds – Gain Hours

By Rossi Ignatova – SilverSense (www.silversense.biz)

The story of how a pair of snagging scissors made me re-examine my work efficiency and reduce time-wasting little niggles.

So, I have this pair of scissors which I love using. They are big and solid and fit perfectly in the palm of my hand. The only snag is that, well, the scissors snag. Not a lot, mind you, just a little and only if the paper or bubble wrap that I am cutting touches a particular spot on the blade. So, I have to be extra careful and remember to cut just a little bit further or backwards from this spot. It works fine. But sometimes, and it happens right when I am in a hurry, I don’t do it quite right and the scissors snag, they literally tear at the paper, so I have to start cutting again, which is fine, as I do love my scissors, even though they waste a little bit of my time.

It’s funny how long it can take us to see things for what they are. But the second that the active thought really hit me – stop, these scissors are a waste of time – I knew I’ve always known it, but simply didn’t realise how important it was.

You see – if something doesn’t work right and wastes even a second of your time, then perhaps it is not such a bad idea to try to fix it, change it or eliminate it altogether so that with the time saved you can focus on the most important things in your life.

So this is how it all started – with my pair of scissors and their snag. Out they went and the new pair cuts just fine. This made me think and I decided to observe the way I work and eliminate the little niggles that, although tiny, do end up consuming quite a lot of time.

After some days (well, weeks and even months) of observation and adjustment, here is my action plan – all clear and well structured for immediate application, so that it doesn’t waste any of your time.

Observe

I started by observing how I do the small things, like cutting packing paper, writing an address and storing my receipts. You know – those small tasks that shouldn’t take more than a minute of your time, but somehow they always manage to last much longer than that. Every time I was doing something, no matter how mundane, a thought would jolt me – can you do this more efficiently than that? Or if I was rummaging like crazy in my bag to find a pen, I would somehow start thinking – if only I had left a spare pen on my desk. This observation stage took some days (well, weeks and even months) and I was surprised to discover that no matter how organised I otherwise am, little things do waste a big portion of my time.  So, I moved to stage two of my plan, namely:

Analyze

I made a list of all such things and it contained stuff like:

-          checked Etsy stats about 15 times today,

-          started to write an article and spent 15 minutes re-reading the opening paragraph and trying to make it better, even before finishing the article,

-          made the journey from my computer desk to my order preparation area several times, as I had to double check each order,

-          ran out of sellotape and spent 5 minutes looking for the spare one as I wasn’t sure where I had left it,

-          replied to emails as and when they arrived and then it took me some time to concentrate again on the tasks that I was dealing with when the emails arrived.

And the list went on and on. I am sure you understand. I am sort of sure some of you may even recognise yourselves. Anyhow, I analised the list and the conclusion was simple: to make the transition from chaos to order, I had to:

Streamline

things. So out with the old and in with the new. Some of the changes were easy. For example, I got myself a label printing machine – it is small and compact and prints shipping and product labels like a dream. I also placed little pots with pens, pencils and a ruler at strategic spots (my desk, order preparation area and writing corner are some of them). I called my accountant and for a modest fee she agreed to deal with all my receipts on a monthly basis instead of expecting me to sort them through. I also created a dedicated place for office supplies, so now I know exactly where to go for that sellotape. And also, I started buying sundries not when I had ran out, but when I was down to the last or even the penultimate of them. I also placed my little laptop (which was otherwise just collecting dust) on my order preparation table, so that I can double check each order without having to go all the way to my main desk. Other changes were more difficult and took some

Discipline

For example, I told myself: instead of reading and re-reading every sentence you write and edit it there and then, try to simply let the words flow, then do something else and get back to your finished article with a fresh pair of eyes. This sped up my writing process about ten times. As I am also with a short attention span, I started alternating tasks, so that I am always excited about them. Let me explain: if I have to take product photos, before I would have pencilled a whole day for this and at the end I would be so drained and bored that half of the pictures couldn’t even be used. Now I schedule an hour tops and once the hour is up I move to the next task on my to do list. This keeps me fresh and constantly doing things, which adds to my perceived satisfaction of actually achieving my goals. Which somehow magically takes me to the last stage of my action plan, which is (incredible as it sounds!):

Enjoy

your regained time! After you have dealt those little time-wasting niggles a crushing blow, spend some minutes simply doing something nice for the people in your life or yourself. Look at the blossoming trees, cook an amazingly healthy and tasty meal, go for a walk.

As creative people sometimes time and structure can challenge us a bit. But as long as we observe ourselves and analyse how we do things, there will always be room to streamline our day and (with a bit of mental effort) to discipline ourselves. Then there will be plenty of time to enjoy. Enjoy what? Of course, living life!

Rossi combines her love for crafts, jewellery and beads with her interests in languages and communication. She runs SilverSense (www.silversense.biz) – a dynamic jewelry making supplies company providing you with gorgeous gemstones, freshwater pearls and Czech glass beads. Please connect with SilverSense on Facebook (www.facebook.com/SilverSenseLondon), Twitter (@silversense1) and on Google+ (https://plus.google.com/100194574406489853972/posts).

© Guest for Handmadeology, 2012. | Permalink | 11 comments | Add to del.icio.us
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‘red velvet cake’ by sabahnur

Tiny Frog Silhouette Sterlin… meltemsem $30.00	Red Simple Modern Ceramic Wh… NewMoonStudio $32.00	Flamenco in Carmine Red / Ca… bayanhippo $42.00
RED VELVET Homemade Cookie S… cploch $24.00	Red Arm Warmers afra $24.00	Big Red Heart Pillow HoneyPieDesign $36.00
Red Jade Ball Earrings toosis $68.00	20% off Sale RED Cape Coat D… Sophiaclothing $99.99	Cherry Lip Tint- Moisturizin… orangethyme $4.00
Red Earrings. Valentine’… Dalim $16.00	Gourmet Chocolate Cinnamon C… NicolesTreats $11.00	Because there’s always o… PoFu $24.00
RED SHAWL, Winter Fashion, V… filofashion $75.00	Red Sea Murano Glass Pendant… FloweredSkybea… $18.00	Vintage deep red funky sungl… RetroEyewear $30.00

Treasury tool by Red Row Studio.

© Timothy for Handmadeology, 2012. | Permalink | No comment | Add to del.icio.us
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Etsy has made it easier for seller to connect with their fans and followers right from their shop.  Now sellers have the option to add a Facebook like and Twitter follow button right under their banner.  Setting these buttons up is simple.

If you are ready to connect your Etsy shop with your Facebook and Twitter accounts , check out the video below from Laura on Etsy.

Connecting Your Shop with Facebook and Twitter from Etsy Inc. on Vimeo.

Connecting your Etsy shop with Facebook and Twitter is only one piece to the social media puzzle.  Below you will find a list of resources from Handmadeology.

5 Tips On How to Get the Most Out of Twitter’s Social Network

Building a Social Media Empire : Remember Rome Was Not Built in a Day

The Importance of a Facebook Landing Page

How to Spend Less Time Marketing Your Etsy Shop With HootSuite

A Simple Way to Gain More Facebook Likes and Twitter Followers at Craft Fairs

Crafting Your Twitter Page – Twitter Tips from Craft Buds

Facebook Questions – A New Way to Interact With Your Fans

Simple How-To – Adding a Facebook “Like” Button to a Blogger Blog

Understanding the Power Behind Your Facebook Fanpage Insights

Tips For Growing a Targeted Twitter Following

Facebook Fanpage Branding Tips for Etsy Sellers

Handmade Marketing Log Book

Social Media Bundle

Being an Etsy seller I know how hard it is to get any views from just listing your items on Etsy.  Marketing your Etsy items outside Etsy is a must in these days.  I am excited to share this free ecourse with Etsy sellers , because I have been using these 10 steps for years and I have seen great results.  I have increased my traffic to my blog and Etsy shop, moved up in the Google ranking, and have even seen my customer base grow.

If you are ready to learn how to decrease the amount of time you spend promoting your Etsy items and at the same time maximize your results, the Social Media Blitz 5-day ecourse is just for you! Over 2,500 Etsy sellers have taken this course!

Here is a screen shot of what the Etsy Traffic Tracker looks like.  You will notice your traffic will be broken down by day and week.  The Goal Tracking feature is simple to use. Just enter your traffic goal and the traffic count down is updates every time you enter more traffic.

This tool is an Excel spreadsheet based tool that can be used by artists that use both a pc or a mac if Microsoft Excel or Open Office is installed

Click HERE… to download your free Etsy Traffic Log Spreadsheet

Other Articles and Resources:

The Facebook Divide: How To Untangle Your Business From Your Personal Life Once + For All

6 Steps To Being More Effective On Twitter

Do You Want “Likers” or True Fans?

Build Your Personal Brand On Twitter

Ten Reasons Twitter Can Help Grow Your Business & Yourself

25 Facebook Marketing Tips to Increase Sales

Getting Social Media Love On The Go

3 Clever Things You Can Do With a Facebook “Reveal” Tab

Using Social Media to Build Relationships With Your Target Markets

do you have time to connect?

4 Ways To Use Facebook And Twitter In Your Business

12 Persuasive Reasons Why Artists Should Use Twitter

7 Ways to Build Your Brand on Twitter

Twitter Do’s and Don’ts

Social Media Essentials For Your Business

10 Quick Tips On How to Successfully Use Social Media to Market Your Etsy Shop

© Timothy for Handmadeology, 2012. | Permalink | 6 comments | Add to del.icio.us
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Owl TShirt - Grey Alternative Apparel by: naturwrk

One of the things I found most stressful about prepping for my very first few shows (several years ago) was the worry that I might forget something important. It would, of course, be something I could not live without. The whole show would fall apart and I would crawl home, a disappointing slug. Hopefully, your mind is not as overactive and dramatic as mine is, but you get the point.

I have learned two very important lessons since my first sleepless night before the big event.

• You cannot put a value on the peace-of-mind you get arriving at a show with everything you need and feeling completely prepared for the day.
• You are only human and you will forget things. The good news is: you can forget a LOT of things before you actually turn into a disappointing slug.

As a crafter, you are probably constantly trying to streamline and improve the production process. It is good sense to streamline whatever you can, and why not do that for your craft show prep as well?
This article is going to cover what I ridiculously call my “Administrative Bag.” The Bag is a big, red tote that I go to when I am looking for anything set-up or business related. It should contain everything you need for the business portion of your show. This may include, but is not limited to, the following items:

Change Bag/Box

• Full of change for the show.
• Sheet of paper tracking exactly how much change I leave with. I double check this number when I get home and work through my sales numbers. This is a great way to catch any missing sales or miscalculations
• Sales Tax and Use License. You should have this with you at every show you attend. Make a copy that you can use for shopping etc, and rest assured knowing that your original will always be safely tucked away here.
• Credit card processor. In one word: Square. If you don’t have one of these, I can’t endorse it enough. Square is an incredibly affordable and easy way to accept credit cards on the go. If you have a smart phone, then you can have a square. The reader is free and so easy to use.
• Emergency pen, just in case I need to scribble something on a check etc.

Record Book

• I like to track my sales as I receive them by quickly jotting them down in my notebook. Again, this is a great way to not only track sales but to avoid any accounting errors.

Vendor Packet

• Now, this is something that changes from show to show. I usually print all my vendor information, review it, and slide it into ye ol bag for later. Good news is, you usually receive a little vendor packet the day of the show, or at least at the setup. It’s not something that you necessarily have to remember to bring. You already have your bag with you, and you can just slip it in there when you get it. If you have questions later about hours, tear-down, or venue locations… you have all that information in one place. When someone asks me where the bathrooms are, I can easily access my map and show them. Similarly, I love to have it on hand in case someone mentions something that they just love. For example, I sold a Sock Monkey Hat to a woman who just LOVES sock monkeys. So I am happy to tell her that just down the aisle at spot G214, there is a vendor that sells the most amazing sock monkeys. Go check her out!

Business Cards

• Even if it is your very first show, it is imperative to have some kind of branding and contact information. What is the point of networking and making contacts if, after the event, no one has a way of remembering what you did and how to get in touch with you to order it? I keep a constant supply of (more than I need) business cards in this bag at all times. I refill it after each show and check my master supply to know when it’s time to re-order.

Contact Book

• Craft shows are a great place to network, advertise, and gain exposure.  Even if someone cannot support your business at the show, that doesn’t mean that they wouldn’t like to in the future.  Having a newsletter, if only to announce sales and upcoming shows, is an important tool to build repeat as well as future business.  At all my shows, I encourage just that.  I set out a notebook for shoppers jot down their information if they are interested in receiving updates, and at the end of the show I input these entries into my newsletter list.  Once I’m done, I flip to a new page and put the notebook back for the next show.

Tool Box

• This little sucker will be covered in depth in Part II : The Box, since I think it is the most glorious part of my Survival Kit.

So, my bags are literally packed and I am ready to go. It is one (or a million) less thing(s) to worry about gathering up and/or forgetting, allowing me to sleep a little better AND a little later. It eliminates a huge part of my Packing List, because the bag stays completely intact, always. When I get home, the bag goes into my studio and is already packed and ready for my next show.

For shows that last more than one day, I can just pick up my little red bag at the end of the day and go. All my money is safe and sound, and it is much harder to forget a red bag hanging on the door knob than it is a tiny little money pouch.

Stay tuned for Part II: The Box, where I will cover all those little essentials that come together to make a Tool Box I never leave home without.

My name is Tania and I love everything about the Arts & Crafts scene, from the creations to the community and every step in between.  Several years ago, I started up The Curious Cake Shoppe and there has been no looking back since. I continue to use my passion for this community to create more, such as The Curious Canvas, and do my part to help out in the Arts & Crafts scene through my Texas-based Craft Show website, DFW Craft Shows.  I use my experience to write Craft Show articles and I love promoting other vendors through my Arts & Craft Giveaways every other week.

© Guest for Handmadeology, 2012. | Permalink | 19 comments | Add to del.icio.us
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‘Valentine’s Day Wedding’ by newhopebeading

Here Comes The Bride – Rusti… sparkleandposy $37.50	Bird Wedding cake toppers i… claylicious $45.00	Butterfly Bracelet with Ivor… dreamyvintage $19.00
Ivory Swarovski Pearl, Cubic… SomsStudio $37.00	Vanilla Bean Cookies 1 Dozen… ButterBlossoms $12.50	ELOISE – Pink Mocha French B… bethanylorelle $32.50
Ceramic Heart for Ring Catch… MissPottery $10.00	Black Diamond Jewel Earrings… Dalim $16.00	i love you art photography p… PhotographyDre… $11.00
100 Wedding Wish Tags. / Wed… TodoPapel $65.00	Triangle Shawl, Neckwarmer, … Iovelycrochet $47.00	On The Grapevine MQuin $220.00
50 Custom Soap Favors // Pin… sweetpinesoaps $137.50	Personalized Tree Branch Wed… MaryElizabethA… $68.00	The Best Round Cake Pop Stan… AllCustomGifts $32.95

Treasury tool by Red Row Studio.

© Timothy for Handmadeology, 2012. | Permalink | One comment | Add to del.icio.us
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What’s the Big Deal About COGS?

COGS stand for “Cost Of Goods Sold” and is a bookkeeping term used when filing taxes.  COGS is just another way of saying “the cost of the materials used in a product when you actually sell that product”. . . . think of all the different materials you use to make your product.

Under the COGS method of accounting – you are allowed to expense those material costs when you sell the product.

Also, tracking COGS is very beneficial for handmade artists as a method for setting prices for their products.

Don’t let the COGS section on Schedule C surprise you when filing taxes. . . start tracking it now!

We’ve been working this January and February to bring you the best bookkeeping solution for handmade artists ever made!  We call it Handmade Bookkeeping Complete.

It is based upon the original #1 selling Handmade Bookkeeping Spreadsheet but with a facelift and a few minor tweaks to make your bookkeeping as smooth and enjoyable as possible.

Designed by a CPA who knows the needs of handmade artists– you know you are getting a quality product that will serve you for years to come!

Sign up below to be notified when the bookkeeping system is available and also receive a 20% coupon off anything in the Handmadeologybiz Etsy shop!

Here is what just a few of our satisfied customers are saying.

© Jason for Handmadeology, 2012. | Permalink | 2 comments | Add to del.icio.us
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Black silver earrings by: organikx

3 DIY Biz Tips your Customers will LOVE

As a small and creative business you are all too familiar with DIY culture and how it runs a good chunk of your business. Today I want to introduce you to 3 DIY areas of your business your customers will continue to love seeing in action.

DIY Tip #1–Your own voice
Your customers want to hear from YOU. Not your assistant and not the person you pay to update your Twitter account. They buy from you-your brand, your inspiration, your voice. Let your customers into your world and share your insights and your passion for what you do!

DIY Tip #2–A stellar customer service department
So you might not have an actual “department” but personal touches to your customer service mantra will speak volumes! Spend some time writing out your customer service polices and I will give you a hint **they have nothing to do with how many days for a return, and final sales**.Your customer service is about the heart of why you are in this business.

DIY Tip #3–Passion for your work
Why are you excited to wake up everyday and push your business along? Passion for what you do will be there even when things are going great–share the root of this passion with your customers. It’s here that they will relate to you, they will want to be part of your brand, and they will certainly enjoy buying from you.

Keep up where it matters and let your customers know you are here!
 Andrea

© Andrea Mansfield for Handmadeology, 2012. | Permalink | 4 comments | Add to del.icio.us
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Vines- handmade ceramic focal pendant by: kylieparry

Five things editors want you to know before you pitch!

Before you a) pick up the phone to call an editor, b) attach multiple, high-resolution images to your pitch, c) slight a competitor, d) attempt to bypass an assistant editor or e) mail a mass press release, read this:

Editors are ALWAYS looking for new material and if they’re not knocking on your door then it’s your job to get the story or idea to them. But when pitching, there are a handful of simple rules that show you “get it,” or respect the space an editor, writer or blogger needs to see if it will work for their pages. Ignoring this basic etiquette can undermine your chances of getting coverage. Alternatively, being easy to work with will often land you multiple placements over time!

Know the pages you are pitching. Magazines and blogs have working formulas with pages that are formatted similarly every day/week/month. Does your product look like it could be plugged on to the page you’re pitching as it currently exists? Then it’s likely a good fit. Similarly, don’t expect an editor to cover services when their pages are all product-driven. Do your homework first before reaching out.

Resist the urge to call.  Media types are always on deadline and if you call to “explore opportunities” not only is it a telltale sign that you haven’t put in the time to read or get to know their pages, you will also leave a lasting first impression…….but not the one you intended.

Refrain from sending attachments and high-resolution images. Embed one low-res (72 dpi) image into the email instead of sending large files that slow or clog an inbox.

Skip the antiquated press release.  A concise, well-written paragraph or two and a crisp well-lit image are enough to pique an editor’s interest. If they want to know more, they’ll go directly to your website, so make sure that it is press-ready before reaching out.

Don’t dismiss the editorial assistants and assistant editors. Not only are they gatekeepers to senior editors (and likely writing lots of copy on the side) they will one day BE the senior editor.

By Amy Flurry, author of Recipe for Press, Pitch Your Story

Like the Pros & Create A Buzz

Available at:

www.recipeforpress.com     $23.95

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